


Inheritance

by marmolady



Series: Endless Ending [15]
Category: Endless Summer (Visual Novel)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-07
Updated: 2019-07-07
Packaged: 2020-06-23 23:51:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,503
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19712041
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/marmolady/pseuds/marmolady
Summary: Post-ending (Endless ending). The ghosts of Estela’s past follow her as she tries to move on and begin a new life with Taylor- now freed from Vaanu and living with her in a restored San Trobida. With Rourke’s legacy to be dealt with, she won’t be able to outrun her demons for much longer.





	Inheritance

Had it been a minute? Two? Three? Estela seemed to be stuck, time moving forward without her as she stood in front of Jake’s door. Her mother’s door. She rested her palm flat against the wood, daring herself to seek an invite. Estela had barely stepped foot in that room since…. But she had to let go. Move on.

“You comin’ in, Katniss?”

 _Damn, was it that obvious?_ With her presence clearly known, there was really nothing for it but to bite the bullet. Her unsteady hand took the handle, and she pushed open the door with a creak.

Estela glanced around awkwardly as she entered the room. “Hi.”

Sitting up from watching a movie on his tablet, Jake smirked. “Well, well, well, look who’s come crawlin’ back for help. Realised you’re not _quite_ the teacher you thought you were, O Captain, My Captain…?”

The teasing was actually a welcome distraction from the stifling nostalgia. Estela played along. “Yes; yes, of course, that’s why I’m here. Once you’ve taught her to drive a car, I’ll have you teach her everything you know about flying too. In the time it takes to impart your wisdom, you’ll both be smouldering in a heap of wreckage.”

“And _how_ many planes have you flown recently? What’s that…? None? How about a chopper?”

“I know how many I’ve crashed.”

Jake put his hand to his heart. “Knife straight to my chest. You’re a real piece of work, you know that?” He spoke dramatically, but budged up so she could join him. For all the relentless teasing between the two of them, they were tight. He knew enough to know that she didn’t loiter around her mother’s old room just for fun. “Now that I’m mortally wounded; what’s up?”

“I was talking to Aleister…” Estela sat down on the bed beside Jake; legs folded beneath her.

“Diggin’ ya heels in ‘bout that inheritance still?”

She huffed, not warranting that with an answer. “It sounds like we might actually have a pretty good case for you. He’s been researching legal representation; there’s enough money to throw at it that we can get you the best of the best.”

It was a subject Jake preferred to avoid. He appreciated what his friends were trying to do for him, and they knew it, but revisiting that chapter of his life had only gotten more difficult since losing Mike a second time. It had been cruel and soul-shattering. Far more than himself, it was for Mike that he most wanted to seek justice. The thought of getting up in court and making the statement that could right devastating wrongs… it was downright terrifying. He leant back against the headboard, lost in thought.

“I guess I should thank you. Doin’ all the legwork for me so ya don’t have to deal with your own shit.”

“Right now, getting you home is more important.” Estela spoke with a slight growl, knowing that her friend had her all worked out. She wasn’t sure if she hated it, or if it was nice to be understood so well for a change. Only her uncle and Taylor could see through her as easily. “When ‘Operation Top Gun’ is all wrapped up, then I’ll tell Aleister where he can stick that money once and for all.” She winced. “He was actually talking about dropping by here; him and Grace. As if I’ll be more cooperative face-to-face.”

Jake couldn’t hold back a snigger. “Mighty brave of him- you present a lot less physical danger down a phoneline.” To his satisfaction, he saw the glimmer of a smirk, even as Estela’s gaze remained downcast. “Honest, though, I don’t get it. You’re in a prime position to take everything Phony Stark ever had, dismantle it from the inside-”

“And why does Aleister want _me_ to take half of everything? If he wanted to dismantle an empire, he could do it himself. He could give it to _anyone_ if it was just about being generous. It’s because I’m…” Unable to say the words, Estela looked up at the ceiling. She’d stared up at the cracks in the walls’ countless times, tracing the lines with her gaze as a futile distraction from the noise of a violent neighbourhood, her mother taking reassurance in knowing she was right there, safe and sound. Today, she was hiding from something quite different, something she’d never truly be able to escape. Then, she felt Jake’s hand squeeze her shoulder. Of course he got it. He always did. She scooted nearer and let him hug her.

“I’m still growing into this ‘new me’,” she grumbled. “I don’t know where it’s taking me, but I do know I’m _not_ gonna be Rourke’s daughter. I accept the money, I accept everything that comes with it. I’m meant to be letting go; you tell me how I do that if I’m stuck tied to that murdering bastard forever!”

“That’s… fair. But have you tried lookin’ at it differently? The reason your mom was working for him in the first place to give you a better life.”

“Kinda backfired on her, didn’t it?” Estela said bitterly. “All she ever wanted was to keep me safe. Instead, she set me off on an assassination mission. I actually died more than two-thousand times. I wonder, all the time, what she’d say to me now.”

“I think she’d want you to take the money.”

“I want _nothing_ of his. I don’t want a reminder that he ever laid his hands on her. He didn’t deserve to breathe the same air as her; let alone… let alone…” She trailed off, anguished, and wiped away angry tears with her sleeve. “Jake, I have to look at myself in the fucking mirror every day, I don’t need his money too. We’re never gonna know how many people’s blood those billions are soaked in. If I accept that money, I’m a monster. Just like him. And I’d die before I become him.”

“Well, then it sits there. Helpin’ no one. See, Katniss, I get a feelin’ that if there was nothin’ to hold you back, you’d do a lot of good in the world. Rourke’s crimes aren’t yours to pay for. But you could give your mama everything she wanted… your future. Maybe that’s how you move on.”

A lump came to Estela’s throat. Even if Jake was right, that wasn’t a truth she was ready to ready to accept. She couldn’t honestly say that she’d ever have the strength to; moving on was one thing, but to do so with yet another tether to the man that to her was the embodiment of purest evil… maybe she wasn’t brave enough to be that person. Did that mean she was throwing away her mother’s sacrifice? Shaken by the realisation, she deflected.

“Look, even if I don’t take it, I made an agreement with Aleister. He gives you what you need for a new plane; Rourke’s pet blew up the last one, so it’s what you’re owed. You can pick out a flashy one if you like; we’re not exactly on a budget. And it can be here, or La Huerta, or whatever, but we’re bringing your family to you. Some things can’t be done over the phone… and if I’m expected to get on with my life and move on, you can do the same, _cabron_. Whenever you’re ready.”

Estela was certain she felt Jake’s heart beat faster, and she instinctively tightened her hug. She’d been trying to help… maybe she’d misjudged it. His eyes glazed over, as though he was lost somewhere beyond her reach. Unsure though she was, she stuck to her guns.

“We’re doing this,” she said firmly. “We’re bringing you home. And you should have everyone behind you; I’m pretty sure your mom, your sister… they’d wanna be on your side. They can’t do that if you don’t give them the chance.”

Jake rubbed his face, feeling wetness that took him by surprise. Every now and then, these things crept up on him. “Whataya doin’ to me…?”

“Sorry. I’ve been around Taylor too long; gone soft.”

And then they sat quietly.

It was a long while before Estela spoke again. “How are you doing? You know, sometimes I get the feeling that part of you doesn’t want to go back home. That’s not… just my imagination, is it?”

Once more, Jake found himself rubbing his stubble uncomfortably. Estela wasn’t going to push the issue, and it might help to get it off his chest, but…

“You don’t have to answer. But if you ever need to talk…”

“…I know where to find Princess.”

Estela laughed. True, no one gave a pep talk like Taylor gave a pep talk. It was that beautiful open heart that was one of the things she loved most about her. “You know where to find Taylor. And me.” She put her arms around Jake once more. “We could talk and spar at the same time; get out some of that pent-up angst of yours. It does help.”

Thoughtful, Jake wrestled with a strange feeling of disappointment in himself. After all this time, could he still not help himself by just _talking?_ In the end, he could only sigh. “One shitshow at a time. We’ll make a deal. Get ya house in order, then I’ll give the two of ya’ll the best heart-to-heart I’ve got in me. Deal?”

“My house is already in order, thank you.” Her expression suddenly fierce, Estela shook her head. He just wouldn’t fucking let it lie. “I’ll hear Aleister out. But that doesn’t mean-“

“Hey, no one’s about to be brave or stupid enough to force ya to do anything. I know I sure as hell wouldn’t. But… I thought this was meant to be your fresh start. Think about it.”

The look Estela gave him made it clear that the conversation was now over. She’d said her piece, and she was done even _thinking_ about Rourke and the disgustingly unshakable connection she had to him.

A rumbling of tyres on gravel came as a relief. It would be Taylor, back from the supermarket with Nicolas. Estela got to her feet.

“Wait- Katniss… this ain’t gonna go away.”

She offered just a brief backwards glance. Shit, she just had to get out of there.

* * *

Feet pounding into the sand, Estela could only hear the thundering of her own heart, beating hammering wildly against her chest as she ran, she ran as hard as her body could carry her, seeking escape. But she couldn’t run fast enough, far enough; she never could. She never, ever _would._

It had caught up with her, that shadow that followed wherever she turned. Aleister and Grace had arrived in San Trobida that day, intentions obvious. For all her qualms over the underlying reason for their visit, Estela greeted her friends warmly. Weeks away from most of the La Huerta gang had left a hole in her life; having friends for the first time ever had changed her, and having a bit of that back, to share her home with them, was a joy so great that dread over her… she hated to even think the word in relation to that murdering, lying bastard… her _inheritance_ could be quashed for just a while. For a while, but not forever.

They hadn’t even gotten home before the subject had come up. Aleister had been characteristically grumpy about having to sit in the back of Estela’s somewhat dilapidated car, having offered the only seat with a functioning seatbelt to Grace. He was clearly on edge, anxious about his upcoming encounter with Estela’s _tio._ Which was fair. Nicolas was suspicious of just about every new person he came across, and his niece had left no holes barred in the picture she painted to him of Aleister. The word ‘traitor’ _may_ have been thrown around. Of course, she’d recounted the reparation of trust between them, the building of their burgeoning kinship, but Aleister was not fool enough to be under the illusion that his character would not very much be scrutinised by his host. While Taylor initiated a warm and friendly catch-up to put him and Grace in ease in this foreign environment, she could already feel the undercurrent of tension. Aleister was on the back foot, exposed, and it was not a state that tended to bring out the best of him. Coupled with an Estela holding onto simmering turmoil, that tempers would flare seemed inevitable. Still, Taylor had tried her best. To begin with, it was easy; there was so very much to catch up on. Grace had made efforts to reconnect with her mother- traveling all the way to London to do so, but sadly with limited success thus far. The trip then became a tour of all the museums of the city, and it had turned out to be some of the best fun she and Aleister had ever had. Naturally, the subject of ‘Operation Top Gun’ came up; the recent breakthrough that the authorities had taken the evidence of Lundgren’s crimes and launched an investigation. In no time at all, however, excitement turned to an uncomfortable lull when talk of paying for legal representation brought the use of Rourke’s fortune into the forefront. Taylor hastily swerved the conversation, but she knew the damage was done. In the back seat, Estela had gone deathly quiet. She wasn’t generally talkative, but there was a different kind of quiet that said she was not okay-- Taylor could always tell the difference. They arrived at Nicolas’ house with no further word being said on the subject, but the tension below the surface bubbled precariously, threatening to bubble over in a blink.

It had not taken long for Aleister, well-meaning but rarely one for sensitivity, to begin in earnest to attempt to corner Estela. She was slippery, avoiding him at every turn, taking full advantage of being in her own home. All her skilled dodging made for rapidly growing frustration, and when Aleister finally got hold of her, it had got the better of him. Shut down, he’d lashed out, stabbing thoughtlessly at raw nerves.

Estela gasped for air as she ran, struggling to breathe through the hard lump in her throat. She’d not yet returned to peak fitness after several weeks rest over an injury, and her body just seemed to give out on her, her chest constricting, eyes blurring with tears…

She slammed down onto her hands and knees with a strangled howl. Words that had wounded her, now memories seared into her mind, could be blocked out no longer.

“ _A true Rourke”_ …

Screaming, she thrashed in the wet sand, pummeling the ground in a wild frenzy.

“No! _No!”_

‘ _You won’t even_ consider _how this would set you both up for a future? Your wife is going into the world with nothing, and for all your purported ‘care’, you won’t even consider putting your pig-headedness aside to offer her something more.” …_

It was true. The thought seared in Estela like a burn, but it was just another thing she couldn’t escape. She’d give Taylor the world… hell, Taylor had _literally_ given Estela the world, but the price was unthinkable. Rourke had chosen her as his heir, not Aleister; _her_. That he’d not lived to put that tether in writing was a small blessing, but it counted for little if she willingly accepted the demon’s legacy. For so long, she’d wished it would just go away, that the curse of her blood would fade from her mind as Rourke himself became a distant memory, but there was nowhere left to run, nowhere to hide. The sickness was in her. To feed it, to accept Rourke as a part of herself; it was unthinkable… but to throw away a better future was a betrayal of Taylor, a betrayal of her mother.

Fists pounding against the hard sand, Estela’s body was wracked with violent sobs, but she couldn’t stop- slamming down again and again, harder, harder, blows muffled by the anguished bellowing. She punched until her fists bled, and then she just kept going, a taunting vision of her demon father dancing through her mind, smug in her defeat. Then her fist collided with her head, as if she might beat the nightmare away. The enemy, after all, was right there, a part of her. Then she thumped herself again, lost in a frenzy that she couldn’t escape. Over her agonised roar, she couldn’t hear the approach of footsteps on the sand, the movement of a figure crouching onto hands and knees, reaching out.

“Come here,” Taylor breathed, her trembling words unheard amid the screaming rage, but felt in the heart. “I’m here, Estela. I’ve got you…”

Taylor’s heart thundered fearfully as she slowly crawled forward and wrapped herself around Estela’s quivering form, cocooning her as if she were a blanket, shielding her from a chill wind. There was the briefest of struggles, then Estela collapsed into her. She said nothing, instead simply holding her wife as her body shook with sobs and howls. Slowly, tentatively, she raised a hand to Estela’s face, and caressed with tender fingertips. That beautiful face was all sand and tears, flushed with heat, screwed up in distress. Afraid. _Oh, darling, I’ve got you._

For an age, Estela cried uncontrollably, while she let herself be rocked, stroked, kissed. As the storm in her heart slowly blew itself out, her tears finally subsiding, Estela snuggled under Taylor’s arm, and offered her own in reciprocation. Together, they faced out to the choppy sea. It wasn’t _fair._ She was supposed to be moving on, living her life. Taylor had given everything for them to have that, to break the chains that imprisoned them, but Estela remained haunted. Why couldn’t she just let it go? Taylor didn’t see Rourke in her, her friends didn’t, her _tio_ didn’t…. so why the hell wasn’t she strong enough to do the same?

“I can’t be his heir,” she said, voice trembling. “I can’t.”

“Estela, only you can decide how you define yourself.” Even as she spoke in little more than a whisper against a tear-streaked cheek, there was firm conviction in Taylor’s words. “If it helps, you’re the bravest, most honest, most deeply caring person I know. I didn’t even know it was possible for someone to love as hard as you do. But you manage it, and it’s the most beautiful thing in the world. That’s not Rourke.” She gently kissed her wife’s cheek, tasting the salt of tears and sea. “Whatever you need to do to help yourself heal; I’ll stand by you.”

Estela took Taylor’s hand and grasped it firmly. “What if I’m not sure? Taylor, I don’t doubt myself- that’s not me. But then…” she laughed dryly, “I don’t often lose control, either. Now look at me. I’m a mess. An absolute fucking mess. It was just… something Jake said the other week… if my future was what Mom did all this for, maybe I should take my share. After everything she sacrificed for me; I don’t wanna let her down.”

“Oh, sweetness… this isn’t something that’s going to get better overnight. What Rourke did to you, what he did to your mom… it’s unspeakable. It makes my stomach churn to think about it, so I can’t even begin to imagine how hard this is for you to work through.” As she spoke, Taylor rubbed Estela’s back, gritty with sand beneath her fingers. She could feel the slow, sure calming of angry, ragged breaths. “If you take the money, or if you don’t take it, you’ve got a future; _our_ future. Your mom would want you to be able to live with yourself, whatever that means.”

Taylor’s words rang true, and they helped ease Estela’s mind, as did the feel of that soft, slender hand in hers. The feel of her… the feeling that they were one and the same, entwined, united… unafraid. It rose up in Estela in a flood of passion, an overpowering need. Abruptly, she tugged Taylor in, grasping her by the waist while the other hand took hold of a thick swathe of blonde hair, pulling her close until she captured her love’s mouth in an urgent kiss that swept Taylor up and took her breath away.

“…Woah,” Taylor gasped. “Where’d that come from?”

“I love you, that’s all.”

“I love you too _._ ”

With a whimper of need, Estela pressed ever closer, leaving ardent kisses and bites against Taylor’s jawline and neck, marks rising up in her wake. She smirked as she felt the rumble of a moan shake her love’s throat.

“…Estela… ‘Stel, we can’t just leave them hanging. I won’t let anyone force you into a decision before you’re ready, but we’ve gotta face this.”

Reluctantly, Estela pulled away, just an inch or two. She could still feel Taylor’s breath against her lips, all but driving her wild. Her eyes flickered from Taylor’s lips to her eyes, and she faltered as she saw the concern there.

Taylor cupped her wife’s face, stroking with gentle fingers as she watched the storm in her eyes settle.

Still seeking physical comfort, Estela softly brought her mouth against Taylor’s parted lips, her kisses slow and delicate. For the time being, it would have to be enough. When Taylor came away, leaving one last kiss to her wife’s forehead, Estela felt soothed… and strong enough to face up to her reality. She had no more tears to cry, no more drive to physically batter herself.

“Taylor, if I don’t take this… that doesn’t mean we’ll struggle with money forever. I’ll take care of us.”

“It hasn’t crossed my mind, not for a second. I need you to do whatever you need to move on, okay?”

Estela placed her hand over Taylor’s, which was still cradling her face as though it was the most precious thing in the world. Her fingers wrapped around, and her lover took them in her own.

“Shall we do this?” Taylor asked, but there was little need. Estela was already drawing to her feet, her face set with determination. She couldn’t run away any longer; running got her nowhere when the thing she feared was there within her.

A silent nod, and a squeeze of the hand. Aleister and Grace would be waiting for them…

* * *

“Oh, Estela, you’re all right!” Grace ran forward and enveloped her sister-in-law in a fierce hug. “We were so worried!”

A little taken aback, Estela put her arms around Grace. It felt nice.

His cheeks flushed, Aleister stepped up, giving his sister an awkward pat on the back. “I suppose I ought to apologise for my manner earlier. My intentions were pure, but I’m afraid that was lost in my frustration.”

Estela looked up, meeting his eyes. It looked as though they were pleading with her. What did he _want?_ Did dragging her down to accepting Rourke’s legacy somehow ease his conscience? As the four of them sat down around the weathered outdoor table, she kept on studying Aleister’s face.

“How the hell could you have good intentions?” she demanded. “All I want is to escape that bastard’s shadow, to not have to be reminded that no matter how hard I try to move on _I never can._ That money, how many lives were destroyed to make it? Am I meant to forget what he used it for? You will never, _never_ make a Rourke out of me.”

Aleister’s frustration bubbled forth, even as he battled to keep calm. Estela was _impossible_. “Has it occurred to you, pray tell, that the reason I’ve gone to such lengths to gift all this to you is that I see you as family? Aside from my mother, the only true family I’ve ever known or cared for. I’m not trying to offer you an inheritance-; I simply wish to share what has been left to me with _my family._ If you would climb down from ‘Mount Holier-than-thou’ for a _second,_ you might realise that _he_ has little to do with any of this.”

Estela’s eyes momentarily grew wide with surprise, as if she’d had a cold bucket of water thrown in her face. Focused as she was on the original source of everything Aleister was trying to give her, his motivations had flown right over her head. “I-I didn’t think…”

“I am as eager to escape _his_ shadow as you are. All I wish is to build a future around those I truly care for.” Aleister wasn’t saw he’d ever seen Estela sheepish, and even in his vulnerability, he couldn’t help but feel a hint of smug satisfaction. He’d cracked her. _Finally_ , he’d cracked her.

“You… want to take care of me. Huh.” She bit her lip and looked away. It was always what it came down to. Family. Caught up as she was in her desperation to escape from Everett Rourke, that _Aleister’s_ need of her was driven by the same deep hurt… it hadn’t even registered. With no other family, he craved her acceptance. _Damn, he must think I’m a complete asshole…_ “That was never what I was rejecting. I, uh, I guess you could have told me that if I didn’t just hang up on you the second you even started to talk about it… I’m sorry.”

Aleister scoffed. “It shouldn’t come a surprise that you are ridiculously dense to the emotions of others- you always were socially inept…”

“Uh, Aleister,” Taylor reminded, “ _you_ can talk! Come on, we can do this without all the sass. We’re meant to be on the same side here; you know, supporting one another. That’s what this is about, yeah?”

Grace reached out and grasped Estela’s hands, feeling her startle but quickly calm to the touch. “Taylor’s right. We came out here because we love you. If this is too much go ask, that’s okay.”

With a stiff nod, Estela looked between Grace and Aleister and offered a small, grateful smile. “I’ll… I’ll need to think about it.” Listening… listening without her own stubborn barriers for the first time, she was ready to hear them out. “So, how is it you guys want to do this?”

* * *

Late that night, Estela rolled off Taylor’s warm body, slick with sweat, slowly returning to reality, having been lost in their own euphoric paradise. They parted only briefly, unable to bear the feeling of not touching, and Taylor burrowed her face against her wife’s chest, smiling blissfully as sweet kisses peppered the top of her head. Estela exhaled the last of that stubborn tension, and breathed in her love.

“Something tells me,” Taylor murmured, “that was exactly what you needed. I could have told you there were better ways of letting off steam than fighting yourself.”

“Mmmm… I actually think I needed both. It had been building up in me for a long time. Too long.” Estela trailed her fingers slowly up and down her wife’s chest. She was so soft, felt so good to hold. “Thanks; really- _thanks_. If I didn’t have you, I know this would have swallowed me up. It’s like you can hold me, and when you’ve got me, I know who I am.”

Taylor pulled the worn blanket over their entwined bodies, and let herself be cuddled. There was little space in the single bed of Estela’s childhood room, but the cosiness was its own special form of comfort.

“Taylor?”

“Are you okay?”

“I am. More than okay.” Estela continued to caress, feeling the fluttering of her wife’s heart. “I won’t let him have a hold over me; not anymore. And I…” she paused for a moment, psyching herself up, “I want us to take what Aleister’s trying to give us. All this time I had it in my head that it meant I was accepting Rourke, but… it’s not that, is it? It’s tying us to Grace and Aleister; our family. I _want_ that.”

Taylor turned in Estela’s arms and pressed a kiss to her lips. “Yeah? I’d like that too. It’s not about money, it’s feeling… connected. They’ve never had anyone to share with; you know I think it will mean the world that you’d agree to it. They know how much you’ve been hurt-“

“Yes, but I’m not just hurt; I’m not just hate. Maybe I can learn to live with the fact that I carry Rourke in me… I really see Aleister as a brother now; I wouldn’t have that otherwise.” Estela exhaled heavily. Was _that_ how she reconciled herself with all of this? And it wasn’t just her. Taylor had no blood family of her own, and she craved it; to embrace this special connection... it would give her a sense of completion that so often felt missing. Estela wanted to give her that. She wanted to give _Aleister and Grace_ that. And that, she realised, was about as far away from being Rourke as she could get.

Just before reaching to put out the bedside lamp, Taylor studied her wife’s serene face; it was as if she was looking at a different person to the tortured soul she’d held some mere hours ago. “I think we’re gonna be alright,” she whispered.

Feeling as though a crippling weight had finally been lifted from her chest, Estela closed her eyes, resting her face against Taylor’s, ready to kiss it whenever the whim took her. “I know,” she mumbled, lips brushing a soft cheek. “I know we are, _mi alma_. …Sweet dreams…”

* * *

Moving on… letting go… it took time. Deep wounds could not be healed overnight, but with each day, hurt faded further into the distance. Together, Estela, Taylor, Jake, Aleister and Grace all returned to La Huerta, joining Diego who’d been already been living with Varyyn in Elyys’tel for several weeks. They _felt_ like a family. All dealing with their own personal heartaches, but moving through in the knowledge that they weren’t facing them alone. Grace and Aleister set their sights on making the Celestial their own, and, tentatively, mapping out a way of utilising Rourke International, now at their disposal, into a vessel for good. They were under no illusions that Estela would have no part of the business until it had morphed into something she would could be proud to have carry her name. Again, it would take time, but Aleister was determined to make something of it. With the investigation into Lundgren that might set Jake free ongoing, the pilot was oft at a loose end; drinks in a beachside hammock were so much sweeter with an end in sight.

For Estela, there was one last piece of closure needed before she could truly move on from her trauma. What had become of her mother’s body was a mystery to her; one she couldn’t bear to investigate. She was adamant, though, that a memorial be erected in her honour. When she’d returned from San Trobida, she’d brought with her the letters her mom had sent her. Encased in an ornate wooden box, they’d be buried in the tranquil garden beside her La Huerta home, along with an engraved plaque, a tribute to the person who’d set Estela on this unbelievable journey to begin with.

Wiping soil from her hands against her hoodie, Estela crouched down by the small hole in the earth, and then carefully placed the box down. She was alone. Taylor, of course, would have been at her side in a heartbeat if needed. But Estela knew that this moment was between herself and her mother. It had been a long time coming, this last goodbye. Amid the need for action, to seek justice for the crimes committed, where had been the time for such a thing? No more, though. Estela reached into her hoodie, and pulled out a letter, crinkled from the long and arduous process of writing it. One last letter from daughter to mother, to be buried with those that came before. With trembling fingers, she held it up to read- to ensure nothing was left unsaid.

‘ _Mom,_

_It’s me. I know, it’s been a long time since I’ve written. If I wrote, it would be goodbye, for good, and for a long time, I just couldn’t face it. There’s so much I wish I could say to you. Mostly that I miss you. I miss you every freaking day, and I honestly don’t think it’s ever gonna stop. But I also need you to know that I’m okay._

_So, first thing’s first. I found out about Rourke. Did you really think you could hide something like that from me? I know you were trying to protect me-- that’s all you ever did, but that fucking hurt. If you’d just_ said _something, maybe you’d have known what to say to me so I wouldn’t hate myself for what I am. I know that’s hard for you to hear, but it’s what I live with every day. You must have known he was twisted; if you honestly believed he wasn’t dangerous, it wouldn’t have been a secret in the first place. You must have known that I wouldn’t be able to stand him being a part of me. And I can’t. I fucking can’t. I’m getting better with it, slowly. It helps that I’m surrounded by people who love me, who believe in who I am. I’ll never be anything like him. I’m not Rourke’s daughter; I’m yours. You know how I feel about secrets and lies, and sometimes, I’ve wished you were here just so I could scream at you. But I understand, and I forgive you. Mostly, now I’m just sad that the image I had of you with my father, someone who loved you, wasn’t real. I wish I could hug you, and tell you that_ I _love you enough to make up for what you should have had. To make up for the people who should have loved you, but they were too fucking screwed up to do it. I’m so proud to be yours, and god, I hope you knew that._

 _Like I said; I’m okay. For a long time I wasn’t, I_ really _wasn’t. I was gonna destroy the people who took you from me, and it didn’t matter if I lost everything in the process. When I look back now, I know your heart would have been broken by what I almost became. I don’t wanna go into too much detail- what matters is that I found my way back. I was lucky I had my friends with me. I was lucky I had Taylor. You’d know her as the second Omega Specimen. You knew she was something special, of course, but special isn’t the half of it. From the second I saw her, I knew I could trust Taylor. That doesn’t just_ happen _with me. I couldn’t help but let her in, even though I fought it. She showed me that I could still love, still be happy; and god, I fell hard. Even when she was scared for my future, she was always on my side, supporting me. And she loved me, Mom. Really, truly, she loves me. You would like her-- she’s kind, and so, so brave. Because of Taylor, I realised that I could have a future; the life you always wanted for me. Because of her, I was brave enough to step away from the path that would have taken my humanity. Taylor and I were married on La Huerta._ Dios _, you’d have cried so much if you could’ve been there! The ceremony was beautiful. She was beautiful, and standing there with her,_ I _felt beautiful too. And then we -my friends and me, we stopped Rourke. It wasn’t by my hand, but he’s gone now, Lila too. Your sacrifice wasn’t for nothing; he’s never gonna hurt anyone ever again._

_I’m going back to university soon! With friends, would you believe? I never thought I could live that kind of life. I thought I’d be surrounded by bloodshed until the day I died- it was what I was meant for. It’s scary to realise that I had it wrong all that time, and to walk a different path, but I am so happy. Like, in a way I didn’t think was possible. I don’t know what I want to do with my life now that I’ve got it back, but I know I want to do good. You always wanted a better life for me, and you did it; maybe I can pass it on. Wherever I’m going, I will have Taylor with me. We have so much still to share. I still can’t believe I get to wake up every morning with my arms around someone I love, someone who loves me back. You would want to know- we’ve already been talking about having a baby in a few years. Of course, I will tell them all about you, how you worked so hard to make a better world for us. You did it, Mom. I’m safe, I’m happy, and I’m loved. I hope you can rest easy, knowing that I am at peace. I’ve just gotta say goodbye, as much as it hurts. I miss you, Mom. I promise I will honour you in the way you wanted, by living a beautiful life. I guess that way, you’ll stay with me, no matter what. Te amo Mami, you are always in my heart._

_With love, forever,_

_Your Estelita’_

As a tear fell onto the paper, Estela hastily wiped her face with a shaky hand. Then, just before she folded the letter, she kissed her fingers, and pressed them tenderly to the paper.

“Rest well, Mom. I love you.”

She placed the letter into the box, and buried it in the earth. It was a humble tribute, but it was honest and heartfelt.

A movement to her left brought a smile to Estela’s face. Taylor was checking up on her; respectfully keeping her distance, but always remaining close enough that she could come running if needed. Without a word, she beckoned with her hand, inviting her wife to join her.

“You did it.” Taylor put her arms around Estela’s shoulders and kissed the top of her head. “It’s a beautiful memorial; the sun’s going to hit this corner just right.”

Estela noticed a potted plant that Taylor had placed on the ground beside them. “Is that for the garden?”

“It’s from Aleister and Grace. They thought it might be nice to put with the plaque; it’s one of the healing plants from the Celestial’s roof. Something to take care of you; they figured your mom would have liked that.”

“She would.”

As she sat back, embraced by her lover and looking at the plaque that marked the spot, a wave of peace seemed to wash over Estela. This was all the closure she’d find; it was time to let go of her grief. To fully accept herself, as her loved ones always had. To live.


End file.
